Innsbruck is a winter wonderland with plenty of history

Without the excitement of Christmas and New Year's to distract from the bitter chill of winter, you can’t help but feel the cold in full force.

But this year, instead of escaping the cold by holidaying on the beaches of Barbados or Tenerife – I leaned into it, and headed to the Alps.

I was going to go on a skiing trip, for the first time since I was in primary school.

Capital of the Alps

Innsbruck is a small city nestled in a valley between the Austrian Alps.

The plane circled around the city before landing, giving all of us incredible views of the mountains – and a taste of what’s to come.

I couldn’t help taking a picture the minute I got off the plane.

The view from the runway (Image: Newsquest) Checking into the Adlers hotel, I was lucky enough to get a room on the ninth floor with an incredible view of the city and the ski jump (more on that later).

The view from Adlers hotel (Image: Newsquest) There was no better way to spend our first day than by heading to the top of Innsbruck – the Nordkette mountain.

Looking down from the peak and being deathly afraid of heights, I felt uneasy, so I walked as far from the edge as I could to enjoy the view.

The view of Innsbruck from Nordkette (Image: Newsquest) Back down on the stable ground, we went to Strudel Cafe Kroll to sample some of Austria’s famous pastries.

I tried the sweet cheese and raspberry strudel and was thoroughly impressed.

Sweet cheese and raspberry strudel with whipped cream (Image: Newsquest)

A medieval city

I’ve never seen such a well-preserved medieval city, but Innsbruck also excels at making the modern fit right in.

Stadtturm, Innsbruck's clock tower which dates back to the 1400s (Image: Newsquest) We took a tour of the old town to see the palace and some landmarks around the city.

The Innsbruck Imperial Palace (Image: Newsquest) Unfortunately, the Imperial Palace was closed for refurbishments so we weren't able to get inside.

The Triumphal Arch, one of Innsbruck's best known sights (Image: Newsquest) Our guide told us that everything is built around the mountains – the glass buildings reflect them back at you.

There is simply no way to ignore the beauty of the Alps in Innsbruck, you can’t possibly look away!

The few modern glass buildings in the city don't feel out of place as they reflect the mountains back at you (Image: Newsquest) Even on cloudy days, the mist sits within the valley and a trip up the mountain to ski will give you an incredible perspective.

The River Inn, from which Innsbruck gets its name (bridge over the River Inn), has a distinct green tinge as it flows through the city.

The river Inn which flows through Innsbruck (Image: Newsquest)

Mieminger Plateau

After a tour of the historic core of Innsbruck, we got in a taxi out to the countryside and went to the Mieminger Plateau.

We had lunch at the Moosalm restaurant where I had another classic of Austrian cooking – hauswurst with a side of sauerkraut.

Hauswurst with sauerkraut and potatoes - a staple of Austrian cuisine (Image: Newsquest) The shining star of the meal, however, was dessert – sachertorte.

A dense chocolate cake with an orangey tang that gave me a sugar overdose leaving me unable to eat another dessert for the rest of the trip.

Sachertorte, a famous chocolate cake from Vienna (Image: Newsquest) Afterwards, we went to Landhotel Stern to enjoy the fresh alpine air with a walk through the nearby forest.

View from the balcony at Landhotel Stern (Image: Newsquest) After picking up our walking sticks from the hotel, we prepared for a walk through the snow.

We were passed by a horse-drawn carriage full of yodelling passengers, an unmistakably Austrian experience.

To our surprise, we were even given a yodelling lesson when we returned to the hotel!

René Föger beside portraits of his ancestors, and former owners of Landhotel Stern (Image: Newsquest) The manager of Landhotel Stern, René Föger, said that the hotel had been in his family for 20 generations – since 1509!

Located on the sunny plateau, the hotel has a focus on sustainability and even has an indoor eco-swimming pool.

In the gardens at Landhotel Stern at night (Image: Newsquest)

Skiing at Rangger Köpfl

Our first ski trip was at Rangger Köpfl, a mountain with a lovely cafe that might even tempt you away from the idea of barreling downhill at high speed.

I glossed over my lack of ski experience and failed to mention my crippling fear of heights – life in the UK gives you few opportunities to experience either.

Life in Austria couldn’t be more different.

There’s nothing more humbling than struggling to stay upright on skis while Alpine children kick snow in your face as they fly past.

My excuse is that they’re lighter – and haven’t yet grasped the concept of death.

Though for all my fears I found my ski legs quite quickly and soon found myself at the top of the hill ready to dive into the abyss.

I won’t lie, it had nothing to do with me, but my fantastic guide who helped me make it down in one piece.

Being taught how to ski by my guide Markus (Image: Newsquest)

Swarovski Crystal Worlds

After skiing, we went to Wattens, a town near Innsbruck and home of the world-famous crystal glass company Swarovski.

The best part of holidays is doing things you would never normally do – and I’ve never been one for glass sculptures or jewellery.

But the displays were mesmerising and I loved looking at all the jewellery I could never afford in the shop afterwards.

One of the displays in Swarovski Crystal World's the Art of Performance Exhibit, which celebrates the company's longstanding relationship with Hollywood (Image: Newsquest) To round out the day we went for dinner at Schindler Restaurant, where I had one of the best meals of my life.

I had the truffle pasta which was just the right amount of richness, buttery but not overwhelmingly so.

Truffle pasta - couldn't resist taking a bite before I took the photo! (Image: Newsquest)

An Innsbruck landmark

Here I am sitting on what is called “the tremble bench” with the comforting view of the graveyard at the end of the jump below.

View from the top of the Bergisel Ski Jump (Image: Newsquest)

Can you see the fear in my eyes?

Sitting on the tremble bench on the Bergisel Ski Jump (Image: Newsquest)

The Bergisel Ski Jump is an Innsbruck landmark, and hosts the third competition of the annual Four Hills Tournament.

But if you aren’t quite mad enough to jump yourself, you can enjoy the cafe at the top which offers panoramic views of the city.

Our guide (and professional ski jumper), Martin Nagiller, told us that a well-trained jumper could reach as far as 175 metres… but that if they did they would “live no more”.

It’s a requirement to have between six to eight years of ski jumping experience – and be suitably mad – to jump here.

Tobogganing in Kühtai

The journey to Kühtai, another ski resort, was such a scenic drive with the road winding up the mountains.

The road to Kühtai (Image: Newsquest) Once we got there, it was buzzing.

The ski resort village was packed with people as the weekend brought out all the locals and tourists alike.

Kühtai, a winter sports village in the Austrian Alps (Image: Newsquest) But today we weren’t here to ski.

Instead we were going to climb the hill and toboggan back down.

After a long walk that showed me just how unfit I am, we arrived at the cafe at the top for some refreshments.

I tried a radler, a mix of beer and lemonade, which had a lovely taste of sweetness to quench my thirst after the walk.

We got on our toboggans shortly after and rode the course back down to the village.

Having never been on a toboggan in my life I was shocked at how fast I could go on it, but it was such a fun time.

Tobogganing in Kühtai (Image: Newsquest) I may have crashed at least three times by failing to turn properly but surrounded by soft snow it was as fun as the ride itself.

Skiing at Muttereralm

I was glad to have another chance to ski before we left the Alps behind for the Pennines.

This time we went to Muttereralm, there are so many good places to ski near Innsbruck that it would be impossible to ski them all in one trip.

The clouds covering Innsbruck from Muttereralm (Image: Newsquest) I definitely didn’t realise how much I’d forgotten until I put my skis on.

After relearning how to turn – and not fall down – I quickly got into the swing of things and was soon skiing on runs I’d never thought I could do.

It was called the magic forest and had lots of cutouts of forest critters – yes, it was for children, but still I was proud.

Unfortunately, I had a plane to catch, so I had to cut the session short.

But by the end of my time in Innsbruck I’d caught the ski fever and was already planning my next trip back.

Price example (as of February 12, 2025):

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

5 nights - Adlers hotel, large Bergisel view room, 1 bedroom. From: £652

5 nights - Adlers hotel, panorama eco, 1 bedroom. From: £480

Flights from London Gatwick to Innsbruck

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 to Sunday, March 16, 2025

easyJet flight with 23kg of check-in luggage and pre-booked seats: £415.43

To find out more about visiting Innsbruck, go to www.innsbruck.info/en/